Wrench



Aug. 4, 1936. I B. E. KUJALA 5T AL 2,050,102

WRENCH Filed Aug. 23, 1955 m M w 5 m R B /7/CK 0. BAD WA/VCK) Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNETE fiTATES WRENCH Application August 23, 1935, Serial No. 37,590

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wrenches and has for its principal object the production of a simple and efficient wrench having means for automatically locking the adjustable jaw of the wrench in a set position.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple spring-pressed toothed looking disc and supporting pin therefor which will be at all times held in a position to efficiently engage the toothed face of the shank of the adjustable jaw whereby the disc may be released from the shank to permit the adjustable jaw to be moved to a desired position and then automatically locked in this adjusted position when the shank is engaged by the disc.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of the wrench;

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig ure 1;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the shank of the wrench showing the toothed locking disc in a released position;

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the locking disc and supporting or operating pin;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that Ill designates the handle of the wrench which is provided with a stationary jaw i i which is locked in position upon the upper end of the handle l by means of a pin 42. This jaw !i is preferably slightly concave, and is toothed as indicated at E3. The handle it is provided upon its rear face with a pair of substantially parallel rearwardly extending spaced members l4 and Ma to provide a vertically extending channel 45 in which is slidably mounted the shank iii of the adjustable jaw El. These rearwarclly extending spaced members l4 and Ma are connected at their rear ends by means of an integral bridge I417.

The adjustable jaw I! is provided with a removable work-gripping section I8 which is preferably concave on its under face, as at H], and is provided with serrations or teeth. The worka gripping section I8 is provided with a tongue 20 which fits within a bifurcated portion 2|, and is held in position by means of a locking pin 22. The shank I6 is provided with a longitudinally extending aperture 23, and upon one side of the shank is provided a toothed face 24, note particularly Figures 2, 3 and 4.

A locking disc 25 having gripping teeth 2?; is mounted within a circular aperture 21 formed in one of the rearwardly extending portions i i of 5 the handle III and the teeth 26 of this disc are adapted to interfit or interlock with the teeth 24 of the shank l6 and hold the shank iii in an adjusted position with respect to the handle it. The disc 25 is engaged by means of an operating pin 28, the operating pin 28 having a threaded extension 29 which is threaded into the internally threaded aperture 30 of the disc 25. The operating pin 28 is also provided with a rectangular shank 35 which abuts at its inner end in biting engagement with the teeth 26 of the disc 25 adjacent the aperture 35, in this way tending to lock the pin 28 and disc 25 in proper engagement for the interlocking of the teeth with the teeth 24. This rectangular shank portion 35 is adapted to fit snugly against the side walls 82 of the aperture 23 and at all times hold the disc in a proper position to cause a proper registration of the teeth 26 in engagement with the teeth 2 of the shank I6. The operating pin is provided 25 with a circular shank 33 or stem which erztc. through the circular aperture 34 formed in rearwardly extending portion Ma. The rearwardly extending portion I la is provided with a socket 35 communicating with the aperture in which socket is fitted the inner end of the coil spring 36, the coil spring 36 also engaging the inner face of the button 31 which is threaded on the outer end of the circular shank or stern 33.

The handle it is provided with a flat spring 38 secured to the wall 39, note Figure 3, and this flat spring engages the inner face Ml of the shank iii to normally urge the lower end of the shank l6 outwardly with respect to the handle IE! and to hold the shank it at a slight incline with respect 40 to the handle Hi, this tending to hold the outer ends of the stationary and adjustable jaws in substantial converging relation. Due to the fact that the disc 25 is circular and is mounted within the circular aperture 31 and the stem 33 is mounted within the circular aperture 34, it will be seen that the shank It may be swung slightly to cause the outer ends of the jaws to diverge, such for instance, as while placing the wrench upon a pipe or other work. The spring 38 will tend to normally swing the shank I6 so as to cause the stationary and adjustable jaws to converge toward their outer ends when the shank is released.

It should be understood that the pin 28 is rotatable in the members [4 and Ma, but the rectangular shank portion 3| by fitting snugly against the walls 32 of the slot 23 will hold the pin 23 against independent rotation with respect to the shank l6. Furthermore, it should be understood that the parts will be efiiciently protected against injury and that the teeth 24 will be normally shielded in view of the fact that the shank I 6 will work between the substantially parallel spaced rearwardly extending portions I4 and Ma.

Certain detail changes in the mechanical construction may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, so long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed asnew is:-

1. A wrench of the class described comprising a handle having a rearwardly extending enlarged portion, said rearwardly extending enlarged portion having a longitudinally extending socket to provide spaced rearwardly extending substantially parallel portions, an adjustable jaw having a shank slidably mounted through said socket, said shank having an elongated slot, the shank being provided with a toothed face, a toothed disc adapted to engage said toothed face of said shank, one of said spaced portions being provided with a circular aperture for receiving said disc whereby said disc may rotate, an operating pin fixedly secured in engagement with said disc, said operating pin having a rectangular shank portion, snugly contacting side walls of said aperture in the shank of said adjustable jaw whereby said pin and disc will be held against rotation with respect to said shank of the adjustable jaw, said operating pin being also journaled in the opposite parallel rearwardly extending portion, an operating button carried by the outer end of said pin, and a spring engaging the button for normally holding said disc in contacting engagement with the teeth of the adjustable jaw.

2. A wrench of the class described comprising a handle having a rearwardly extending enlarged portion, said rearwardly extending enlarged portion having a longitudinally extending socket to provide spaced rearwardly extending substantially parallel portions, an adjustable jaw having a shank slidably mounted through said socket, said shank having an elongated slot, the shank being provided with a toothed face, a toothed disc adapted to engage said toothed face of said shank,

one of said spaced portions being provided with a circular aperture for receiving said disc whereby said disc may rotate, an operating pin fixedly secured in engagement with said disc, said operating pin having a rectangular shank portion, snugly contacting side walls of said aperture in the shank of said adjustable jaw whereby said pin and disc will be held against rotation with respect to said shank of the adjustable jaw, said operating pin being also journaled in the opposite parallel rearwardly extending portion, an operating button carried by the outer end of said pin, a spring engaging the button for normally holding said disc in contacting engagement with the teeth of the adjustable jaw, spring means for normally holding the shank of the adjustable jaw at a slight inclination with respect to the longitudinal axis of the handle, the stationary and adjustable jaws having work-engaging means.

3. A wrench of the class described comprising a handle having a rearwardly extending enlarged portion, said rearwardly extending enlarged portion having a longitudinally extending socket to provide spaced rearwardly extending substantially parallel portions, an adjustable jaw having a shank slidably mounted through said socket, said shank having an elongated slot, the shank being provided with a toothed face, a toothed disc adapted to engage said toothed face of said shank, one of said spaced portions being provided with a circular aperture for receiving said disc whereby said disc may rotate, an operating pin fixedly secured engagement with said disc, said operating pin having a rectangular shank portion, snugly contacting side walls of said aperture in the shank of said adjustable jaw whereby said pin and disc will be held against rotation with respect to said shank of the adjustable jaw, said operating pin being also journaled in the opposite parallel rearwardly extending portion, an operating button carried by the outer end of said pin, a spring engaging the button for normally holding said disc in contacting engagement with the teeth of the adjustable jaw, spring means for normally holding the shank of the adjustable jaw at a slight inclination with respect to the longitudinal axis of the handle, the stationary and adjustable jaws having work-engaging means, the teeth on said locking disc engaging the inner end of the shank on said operating pin for locking said locking disc upon said operating pin against accidental rotation.

BRUNO E. KUJALA. MICK G. RADWANCKY. 

